Re: Using the FreeType 2.0 Polygon Rasterizer in a GraphicsPackage

[David Turner]

Hi Just,

> >I must say that I know a lot about LibArt, actually I'm
> >pretty looking forwards to seeing Raph Levien again at Guadec in a few
> >days :-)
> 
> I knew nothing about LibArt, so I am enlightened. (But I couldn't find a
> download link at that page :-( )
> 
Well, you need to go to developer.gnome.org and look at how to download
one of their libraries (through CVS). I believe LibArt is in
"gnome-libs/libart_lgpl"

> There's actually a slight problem with using the FT raster (interface) for
> graphics: for strokes you need to know whether a subpath is closed or not.
> For filled shapes this isn't so important, so it's logical this info isn't
> available in FT. Oh, and TT outlines are closed by definition... So: in
> order to use FT as a graphics primitives renderer (when a stroke raster is
> added), there needs to be one flag for each subpath. The simplest thing I
> can think of righ now would be to use the highest order bit of the
> FT_Outline.contours array elements. Hm...
> 
That's why the format "ft_format_plotter" was introduced lately, though
it is unsupported for now. It indicates that all paths are opened in the
outline.

Of course, if you really think that a mixed format containing both
closed and open outlines is needed, well, tell it in this list and
I'll consider changing this..

Other than that, I'd rather use a bit in the point tag to indicate
that it is an "open" extrema in the path.. (make more sense in my
opinion)..

> >  - ideally, the path stroker should be used to embolden fonts too (because
> >    this is basically the same process). As far as I know, this is not
> >    possible with the LibArt stroker..
> 
> Aaaaah!!! The nightmare of any serious typographer/type designer:
> emboldened fonts... If I had *anything* to say about this, I'd say don't
> implement this. It destroys *any* typeface.
>
I know, but many people ask this feature to deal with the case where the
bold style of the font isn't available on the system.. I guess it will only
be an option that is a consequence of the stroking algorithm used (should we
call that half-stroking ;-)

- David

> More general: "say no to embolding" ;-)
>
I would agree, but you will always find people asking for it :-)

> 
> Just